LETTER

| January/February 1958

IS IT A 6 OR 10 HP.

We have word form a good authority that the Advance engine
pictured on page 6 of THE IRON-MEN ALBUM Nov.-Dec. 1957, is either
a 6 or 10 hp. Advance never made an 8 hp. As I remember the
engine's size I would say it is a 6 hp. One of the nicest
engines you ever looked at. Very well kept. Elmer.

ALBUM SENT TO ME

I spent several years threshing in western Texas and knowing how
I loved it, my son-in-law had the ALBUM sent to me and I sure enjoy
it.

I run one of the very first threshing machines that was used in
that section of Hale County which is 80 miles south of Amarilla. We
covered a 40 mile radius the first season running 14 months, which
should be a record. The first machine was a 21 Advance and a 32x54
separator. This engine was very easy to fire and I have run 10
hours on 1,000 pounds of 'good coal'. We later got a new
Case 65 and I really loved that engine. We still used the 32 Case
separator, but the Advance separator was the best I ever run from
the standpoint of getting all the grain. The Case was best of all
for sorghums grains. We three' ed wheat, oats, maize, kaffir
cane, flax and millet. At that time there was money in threshing,
but the country was soon overrun with outfits.

We once took our outfit 125 miles cross country into New Mexico
to thresh for the homesteaders. It was quite an experience as one
of us had to always walk behind to keep watch for fire.

-Advertisement-

I saw the plains from cow pasture days to a well developed and
rich farming country. Could tell a lot of our work in the west. We
hulled 126 bushel of alfalfa seed in one day. I also remember
threshing 3300 bushels of wheat on the L. A. Knight ranch. They had
3000 acres in wheat.

Included is two dollars for a years subscription to the ALBUM. I
have liked the ALBUM as a favorite ever since C. J. Tyler of Moore,
Montana, gave me two editions of it. Mr. Tyler passed away two
weeks ago. He owned 10 steam, engines, including a 40hp. Gaar
Scott, 30 hp. Huber, 30hp. Minneapolis, 22hp. Avery Undermounted,
three 32 hp. Reeves engines, and two merry-go-round portables. He
also owned a 20-70 Nichols & Shepard.

My brother and I have a Nichols & Shepard engine. We traded
an old 32 hp. Reeves Canadian steamer for the little engine and are
now planning to trade it to Walter Mehmke of Great Falls, Montana,
for a 15 hp. Case traction engine.

-Advertisement-

This weekend an uncle of mine and I are planning to get an old
Aultman and Taylor gas tractor and an old Huber return flue. We
also know where we can get an old 20-40 Oil Pull.

I am 13-years-old and have been able to operate an engine for
two years. My father has also been operating engines for over 40
years. My brother is 18 years old, but still he isn't as
interested as I am.

The most prized thing on our steam engine is an old
steamboat whistle.

Mr. Mehmke has more engines than anybody I have ever seen. I am
pretty sure that he has at least 25 engines. I got to see one of
his threshing bees last fall. He only had four engines steamed up.
I was disappointed that he never had more engines steamed up.

There is only one thing wrong with the ALBUM. I would like more
of it to come oftener. So far I have found it priceless and think
it always will be.

-Advertisement-

GARY W. YAEGER, R. D. 2, Lewistown, Montana

SAGINAW VALLEY LIVE STEAM ASSOCIATION ELECTS OFFICERS

At a recent meeting the Saginaw Valley Live Steam Association,
Inc., elected officers as follows:

Upon election Mr. Bullock stated that a $5,000.00 Building Fund
Campaign would get underway to start buying 20 acres for a club
ground and club house.

T'HAlNKS FOR REMINDING ME

Thanks for reminding me about my subscription as I like the
ALBUM very much and think it one of the best of its kind. Don't
want to miss a single issue so am enclosing a two-year renewal.

I am enclosing a picture of the Avery that belonged to my
father. We also had a 36-60 Yellow Fellow separator to go with this
engine. I served my apprenticeship on a 15 hp. Cross Compound
Reeves and 16 hp. Simple Reeves that were owned by Burt Darst and
operated by him and his son. My father purchased the big Avery in
1917-1918 from Walter Cof-fey who had bought it new in 1913. This
engine was scrapped in the late '30's by its owner S. L.
Tilley.

ALBERT E. TWISS, Tower Hill, Illinois

MY OLD TIME PET-

Enclosed find $2.00 for my subscription of your magazine. I
enjoy reading it very much.

Also enclosed are some pictures of my old time pet, an 1890
XV-HP., Serial 31102 Buffalo Pitts made by the Pitts Agricultural
Works, Buffalo, New York, in 1890.

It operated a 32 inch separator till the year 1915 at which time
it was drained, the boiler filled with oil and wasn't fired
until 1955. It has all the original equipment including
whistle.

All I did to it was clean it up. Never touched any of the engine
parts or governor. Drained the oil out of the boiler and filled her
up with water, and when the steam was up to ten pounds I opened the
throttle and she began to turn over. I let the pressure get to 125
pounds and never had a flue or manhole to leak anywhere.

I have entered it in parades the past two years and it has won
first prize both times.

M. H. MARTIN, Floydada, Texas

Ed. Note: Mr. Martin sends us a number of colored pictures which
we appreciate and enjoy very much. Colored pictures do not
reproduce in black and white very well so we do not use them. One
of the photos was of a freak snow storm in which there were 20 to
30 inches of snow and it did not make an inch of water. Where he
lives 60 per cent of the country is irrigated. When he wrote us it
had not rained there for over a year. (Le Roy, let's take our
Reunion out there?). Thanks Brother Martin for the extra pictures.
Elmer.

MB. RALPH S. HILPERT

We had a nice letter from Mrs. Ralph S. Hilpirt, R. D. 1, Box
55, Edrnond, Oklahoma, telling of the passing of her husband last
January 19th. She says in part

'Mr. Hilpirt and his father, the late A. L. Hilpirt, ran an
independent threshing crew in this part of the country from 1922
until 1946 and then had a farmer's crew until the combines took
over. Even though I was the wife, daughter and granddaughter of
threshermen and cooked for the crew in the shack for years, I am
sorry to have to admit the love of threshing and steam engines
never developed in my heart.

I have the old steam engine, separator and barges all stored
here on the farm.

REPLENISHING THE FUEL

Am replenishing the fuel for my subscription to THE IRON-MEN
ALBUM MAGAZINE for another year. Enclosed please find two dollars
to cover same.

The magazine has been a great in spiration to me. I have
operated steam traction engines, narrow gauge locomotive, and steam
shovels in the early 1900's. With this experience and the love
for steam engines. I have one

4x6 return flue Peerless, one Buffalo steam roller, both in
running order, and a Westinghouse portable ten horse 10x12 of the
early 1880's. This engine is not restored to running condition
although the engine is in workable condition.

EUGENE A. HAKE, Stage Road, Akron, New York

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP

As required by Act of Congress, personally appeared Elmer L.
Ritzman, who being duly sworn, states that Elmer L. Ritzman and B.
Earlene Ritzman, 18 Altoona Ave., Enola, Pa., are publishers of The
Iron-Men Album Magazine, published bimonthly with the mail address
of Enola, Pa. The publication was founded in 1946 and entered as
Second Class Matter at the

CORRECTIONS

On the back cover of the Nov.-Dec., 1957 issue it is stated in
Mr. London's letter 'And really know a Diesel locomotive as
well as a steamer'. Mr. London says that is not true. Mr.
London is truthful and we make the correction Elmer.

Page 16, Nov.-Dec, is a picture sent by I. B. Zimmerman of
Bareville, Pa. We called it a Frick. Well, it is a Reeves. We
thought we knew our engines but we goofed that time, Mr. Mirk
called our attention to the error. Thanks. Elmer

I. E. FOTHERGILL, WRITES

As I attend the annual Central States Threshermens Reunion and
Steam Engine Show every year at Pontiac, Illinois, and as I am an
old time steam engineer in the late 90's and early 1900's,
I picked up one of your magazines and it's just what I want. I
like it very much.